Back عملية طوفان الأقصى Arabic «Әл-Аҡса туфаны» операцияһы Bashkir ২০২৩ হামাসের নেতৃত্বে ইসরায়েলের উপর হামলা Bengali/Bangla Atacs del 7 d'octubre a Israel Catalan ھێرشی ٢٠٢٣ی حەماس بۆ سەر ئیسرائیل CKB Útok Hamásu na Izrael (říjen 2023) Czech Cyrch Llif al-Aqsa Welsh Terrorangriff der Hamas auf Israel 2023 German Atako de Hamaso kontraŭ Israelo Esperanto Operación Inundación de Al-Aqsa Spanish

October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel

This article is about the 2023 attacks on Israel from Gaza. For the war initiated by the attack, see Gaza war.
"October 7 attacks" redirects here. For the October 6, 1973, Egyptian attack on Israeli forces, see Operation Badr (1973) and October war.

October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel
Part of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the Gaza war, and the Middle Eastern crisis

Satellite view of fires in the Gaza envelope on October 7, 2023[6]
DateOctober 7–8, 2023[1]
Location
Gaza Envelope, Southern District, Israel
Result

Hamas tactical victory[7]

Belligerents
 Hamas[1]
Allied political factions:
  Israel[1]
Commanders and leaders
Units involved
Strength

Per Israel:

  • ~6,000 entered Israel (3,800 Nukhba fighters, 2,200 civilians and other fighters)[18]
  • 1,000 rocket launch crews inside Gaza[18]

Israel Defense Forces

Casualties and losses

Per Israel:

  • 1,609 militants killed[20]
  • 149 militants captured[19]
  • 1,195 killed[21][22][b][c]
  • 3,400 civilians and soldiers wounded[25]
  • 251 civilians and soldiers taken captive[26] (74 later died in captivity or were confirmed dead)[27]

    • On October 7, 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel, the first invasion of Israeli territory since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The attacks, which coincided with the Jewish religious holiday Simchat Torah, initiated the ongoing Gaza war.

    The attacks began with a barrage of at least 4,300 rockets launched into Israel[28][29][30] and vehicle-transported and powered paraglider incursions into Israel.[31][32] Hamas militants breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking military bases and massacring civilians in 21 communities, including Be'eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, Netiv Haasara, and Alumim. According to an IDF report that revised the estimate on the number of attackers, 6,000 Gazans breached the border in 119 locations into Israel, including 3,800 from the elite "Nukhba forces" and 2,200 civilians and other militants.[33][28][29] Additionally, the IDF report estimated 1,000 Gazans fired rockets from the Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of participants on Hamas's side to 7,000.[33][28][29]

    In total, 1,195 people were killed:[34][f] 736 Israeli civilians (including 36 children),[39] 79 foreign nationals, and 379 members of the security forces.[40][g][41] 364 civilians were killed and many more wounded while attending the Nova music festival.[42][43] At least 14 Israeli civilians were killed by the IDF's use of the Hannibal Directive.[44][45] About 250 Israeli civilians and soldiers were taken as hostages to the Gaza Strip, alive or dead, and including 30 children, with the stated goal to force Israel to exchange them for imprisoned Palestinians, including women and children.[30][46][47][48] Dozens of cases of rape and sexual assault reportedly occurred, but Hamas officials denied the involvement of their fighters.[49]

    The governments of 44 countries denounced the attack and described it as terrorism, while some Arab and Muslim-majority countries blamed Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories as the root cause of the attack.[50][51][52] Hamas said its attack was in response to the continued Israeli occupation, the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, rising Israeli settler violence, and recent escalations.[53][54][55] The day was labeled the bloodiest in Israel's history and the "deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust" by many figures and media outlets in the West, including US president Joe Biden.[56][57] Some have made allegations that the attack was an act of genocide or a genocidal massacre against Israelis.[58][59][60]

    1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference UN Fact Sheet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
    2. ^ a b c d e f g Van Vlierden, Guy (October 14, 2023). "HLN ONDERZOEK. Van jihadisten tot communisten: zeker 10 groeperingen deden mee met actie Palestijnse terroristen" [HLN RESEARCH. From jihadists to communists: at least 10 groups participated in Palestinian terrorist action]. Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Archived from the original on October 14, 2023.
    3. ^ "الجبهة الشعبية: قرار الإدارة الأمريكية بتوفير الدعم للكيان هدفه تطويق النتائج الاستراتيجية لمعركة طوفان الأقصى" [Popular Front: The US Administration's Decision to Provide Support to the Entity [Israel] Aims to Contain the Strategic Outcomes of the Battle of the Al-Aqsa Flood]. alahednews.com.lb (in Arabic). Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
    4. ^ "خلال بيان لها قبل قليل.. كتائب المقاومة الوطنية (قوات الشهيد عمر القاسم) الجناح العسكري للجبهة الديمقراطية". Alhourriah. October 8, 2023. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
    5. ^ a b الانترنت, الحرية-مجلة التقدميين العرب على. "khilal bayan laha qabl qalilin.. katayib almuqawamat alwatania (quaat alshahid eumar alqasuma) aljanah aleaskarii liljabhat aldiymuqratia" خلال بيان لها قبل قليل.. كتائب المقاومة الوطنية (قوات الشهيد عمر القاسم) الجناح العسكري للجبهة الديمقراطية [During a statement a short while ago...the National Resistance Brigades (Forces of the Martyr Omar Al-Qasim), the military wing of the Democratic Front] (in Arabic). مجلة التقدميين العرب على الانترنت. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
    6. ^ Cite error: The named reference ynet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
    7. ^
      • Byman, Daniel; Duff, Delaney (December 18, 2023). "What Has Hamas Accomplished?". Foreign Policy. Retrieved January 5, 2025. On Oct. 7, Hamas militants surprised Israel and slaughtered 1,200 people while taking more than 200 as prisoners. It was an impressive tactical success for the group.
      • Sachs, Natan (October 7, 2023). "This Will Be a Pyrrhic Victory for Hamas". The Atlantic. Retrieved January 5, 2025. But this Hamas victory might prove Pyrrhic. In fact, Hamas itself might have been surprised by the extent of its initial success. The trauma in Israel today should give pause to those thinking that Israel will simply acquiesce to a short tit for tat.
      • Gat, Azar (2024). Strategic Surprise—Always? (Report). Institute for National Security Studies. Hamas's successful surprise attack on October 7, 2023, exactly 50 years after October 6, 1973, in the Yom Kippur War, has once again raised the question, in all seriousness, of why and how strategic surprises occur.
      • "Michael Handel, October 7, and The Theory of Surprise". Military Strategy Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2025. ... the Israeli government and scholarly community are more than capable of identifying the errors of omission and commission that contributed to the operational and tactical success enjoyed by Hamas during the October 7 raid that killed about 1200 Israeli civilians and soldiers and enabled the taking of over 250 hostages.
      • Morel, Thomas (October 6, 2024). "The October 7 Attack: An Assessment of the Intelligence Failings". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved March 21, 2025. Second, the Hamas attack on October 7 once again demonstrated how a determined non-state armed group can successfully confront a much stronger adversary, precisely because it is—and rightly so, according to objective criteria—considered to be an order of magnitude weaker.
      • Isaacson, Gila (February 27, 2025). "How Hamas outmaneuvered Israel: A detailed analysis of the October 7 def". JFeed. Retrieved March 21, 2025. On October 7, 2023, Hamas executed a devastating surprise attack that overwhelmed Israel's defenses, killed over 1,200 people, abducted 251, and shattered the nation's security assumptions in mere hours. This defeat—described by the Israeli military as a collapse of the Gaza Division—was not simply a tactical triumph but a strategic masterstroke enabled by profound Israeli intelligence and operational failures. A recent IDF investigation lays bare the systemic weaknesses that Hamas exploited.
      • Karaca, Emre (February 14, 2024). "What Does Surprise Theory Say about Israeli Intelligence Failure on 7 October?". Politics Today. Retrieved March 21, 2025. The October 7 operation by Hamas ended up in defeat for the Israelis as a result of their misinterpretation of intelligence data.
      • Philpott, Limor Simhony (November 22, 2023). "Why Hamas has agreed to a ceasefire deal". The Spectator. Retrieved March 21, 2025. Despite launching a successful surprise attack on 7 October, Hamas's capabilities are no match for the IDF.
      • Brennan, David (October 9, 2023). "Is Russia behind Hamas attack on Israel? What we know". Newsweek. Retrieved March 21, 2025. The stunningly successful surprise attack launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel at the weekend has opened a dark new chapter in the years-long war between the Islamist militant group and its Israeli enemies.
      • Morris, Loveday; Suliman, Adela (July 11, 2024). "Israeli military says it failed to protect Gaza border town on Oct. 7". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024. The Israeli military on Thursday released the results of its first internal probe into the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, admitting to major failings in the defense of Kibbutz Beeri, a hard-hit town on the Gaza border ... Those questions include why military forces gathered at the gate of the kibbutz for hours without entering, the root causes of the intelligence failure that permitted Hamas's invasion and whether the soldiers who arrived understood that their primary objective was to protect civilians.
    8. ^ Halabi, Einav (October 25, 2023). "Most wanted: Key Hamas figures in Israel's crosshairs". Ynetnews. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
    9. ^ "The Chief of the Rahat police, Sen. Giyar Davidov, was killed today". Cedar News (in Arabic). October 8, 2023. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
    10. ^ "Palestinian Al Quds Brigades claim responsibility for attack at Lebanon-Israel border". September 10, 2023. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
    11. ^ "Hamide Rencüs: İsrail ilk defa Gazze sınırındaki kontrolü kaybetmiş durumda" [Hamide Rencüs: Israel has lost control over the Gaza border for the first time]. bianet.org (in Turkish). Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
    12. ^ Frantzman, Seth J. (October 17, 2023). "Overwhelmed: The IDF's first hours fighting the terror waves on Oct 7". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on December 24, 2023. Retrieved December 26, 2023. Golani soldiers from the 51st and 13th battalions fought along 30km of the border at numerous points and took heavy casualties between October 7 and 9.
    13. ^ Cite error: The named reference kerem was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
    14. ^ a b "New footage shows harbor security unit foiling Hamas naval infiltration on October 7". The Times of Israel. October 14, 2023. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
    15. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference shinbet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
    16. ^ Duro, Israel (October 11, 2023). "Heroes of Israel: Armed members of several kibbutzim managed to fight off terrorists". VOZ. Archived from the original on October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
    17. ^ Ghert-Zand, Enee. "Young dad of 6 absorbed blast to protect family in attack on Kerem Shalom". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on October 18, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
    18. ^ a b "Report: New IDF assessment shows some 6,000 Gazans invaded Israel on Oct. 7". Times of Israel. August 31, 2024. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
    19. ^ a b Fabian, Emanuel. "767 troops faced 5,000 terrorists; Gaza Division was overrun for hours – IDF Oct. 7 probe". The Times of Israel. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
    20. ^ a b "habaksha shel pikud hadrom balila shlapni hatbach – vehasirov" הבקשה של פיקוד הדרום בלילה שלפני הטבח – והסירוב [The Southern Command's request the night before the massacre – and the refusal] (in Hebrew). February 26, 2024. Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
    21. ^ ""I Can't Erase All the Blood from My Mind"". Human Rights Watch. July 17, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
    22. ^ "Israel's Dead: The Names of Those Killed in Hamas Attacks, Massacres and the Israel-Hamas War". Haaretz. July 25, 2024. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 4, 2024. Approximately 1,200 Israelis, civilians and soldiers were killed in their homes, communities and in confronting Hamas terrorists. Here are the officially confirmed names of Israel's dead in the atrocities of October 7 and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war ... This list of 1618 names will be continuously updated with names that have been cleared for publication.
    23. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference social security data was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
    24. ^ Zitun, Yoav; Tzuri, Matan (August 6, 2024). "IDF confirms Bilha Yinon, listed as missing, was murdered on October 7". Ynet. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
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    26. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (November 2, 2023). "IDF says it has notified families of 242 hostages being held in Gaza". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
    27. ^ "Monitoring the status of hostages still in Gaza after Hamas's attack". The Washington Post. February 1, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
    28. ^ a b c "Probe reveals 6,000 Gazans infiltrated Israel during October 7 massacre – report". The Jerusalem Post. August 31, 2024. Archived from the original on August 31, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
    29. ^ a b c "Report: New IDF assessment shows some 6,000 Gazans invaded Israel on Oct. 7". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
    30. ^ a b "Hamas says it has enough Israeli captives to free all Palestinian prisoners". Al Jazeera. October 7, 2023. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
    31. ^ Kubovich, Yaniv (October 17, 2023). "The First Hours of the Israel-Hamas War: What Actually Took Place?". Haaretz. Archived from the original on October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
    32. ^ "Around 1,000 dead in Israel-Hamas war, as Lebanon's Hezbollah also launches strikes". South China Morning Post. October 8, 2023. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
    33. ^ a b "Doubling previous numbers, report says 6,000 Gazans – including 3,800 trained Hamas terrorists – broke into Israel on Oct. 7". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
    34. ^ ""I Can't Erase All the Blood from My Mind"". Human Rights Watch. July 17, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
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    39. ^ "38 children were killed, 20 orphaned on Oct. 7: 'The state did not pass the test of protecting them'". Times of Israel. March 3, 2024. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
    40. ^ "New Tally Puts Oct 7 Attack Death Toll In Israel At 1,189". barrons. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
    41. ^ "Israel social security data reveals true picture of Oct 7 deaths". France 24. December 15, 2023. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
    42. ^ "Israel revises death toll from Oct. 7 Hamas assault, dropping it from 1,400 to 1,200". Times of Israel. November 11, 2023. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023.
    43. ^ "Israel revises Hamas attack death toll to 'around 1,200'". Reuters. November 10, 2023. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023.
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    46. ^ Yonah, Jeremy (October 19, 2023). "IDF working on rescue ops for over 200 Israeli hostages in Gaza". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on October 20, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
    47. ^ McKernan, Bethan (October 7, 2023). "Hamas launches surprise attack on Israel as Palestinian gunmen reported in south". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
    48. ^ "Explained: The Palestinian children detained by Israel". Middle East Eye. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
    49. ^ Gettleman, Sella & Schwartz 2023: "Meni Binyamin, the head of the International Crime Investigations Unit of the Israeli police, has said that "dozens" of women and some men were raped by Hamas militants on Oct. 7."
    50. ^ Waldo, Cleary; Epstein, Gabriel; Hilbush, Sydney (October 11, 2023). "International Reactions to the Hamas Attack on Israel". The Washington Institute. PolicyWatch 3793. Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
    51. ^ Michaelson, Ruth (October 7, 2023). "Condemnation and calls for restraint after Hamas attack on Israel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023. International leaders condemned an unprecedented incursion by Palestinian militants into southern Israel, while governments across the Middle East called for restraint after an attack that shook the Israeli security establishment. [...] The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, said his organisation would send support to Israel. 'Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism,' he said.
    52. ^ "World reaction to surprise attack by Palestinian Hamas on Israel". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
    53. ^ "Fears of a ground invasion of Gaza grow as Israel vows 'mighty vengeance'". Al Jazeera. October 7, 2023. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
    54. ^ McKernan, Bethan; Michaelson, Ruth; Graham-Harrison, Emma; Kierszenbaum, Quique; Balousha, Hazem; Taha, Sufian; Sherwood, Harriet; Beaumont, Peter (October 14, 2023). "Seven days of terror that shook the world and changed the Middle East". The Observer. Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on October 20, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
    55. ^ Pacchiani, Luca (October 7, 2023). "Hamas deputy chief anticipates hostages will be swapped for Palestinian prisoners". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on October 25, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
    56. ^ "Hamas's attack was the bloodiest in Israel's history". The Economist. October 12, 2023. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023. The most searing historical comparison predates Israel's founding. Not all of Hamas's victims were Israeli, and not all of the Israeli dead were Jewish. But under reasonable assumptions about the ethnic make-up of those killed in this and previous attacks, the last time before October 7th that this many Jews were murdered on a single day was during the Holocaust.
    57. ^ "Hamas attack 'deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust', says Biden, as Israeli jets pound Gaza". The Guardian. October 12, 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
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